Every year around the month of March, we celebrate the holiday of Purim. Yet many people ask, what is purim exactly? The word comes from the word “pur”, which means lottery, and that is how Haman decided on the day to annihilate all the Jews in the Persian Empire. The Purim date that we celebrate nowadays is the day after the one Haman decreed, because that was the day the Jews defended themselves and killed all their enemies. We celebrate the jubilation of the Jewish people for overcoming the terrible fate that Haman had cast upon them and the miracle of G-d’s intervention to save them. There are several customs concerning Purim but the four main traditions are known as “the four M’s” and they are as follows: 1. Megillah- This is the scroll upon which the story about Purim is written and which we read from twice during the holiday. 2. Mishte- This is the elaborate feast which is eaten on the day of Purim, containing all sorts of purim food, such as “hamentashen”, a jelly filled cookie in the shape of a triangle. It’s also customary to sing Purim songs throughout the meal, creating a joyous and happy atmosphere. 3. Matanot La’evyonim- We are obligated to give those in need, whether it’s money, food or other things. This is also a good time to send Purim gifts to Israel, there being more need of it there. 4. Mishloah Manot- These are the traditional Purim gift baskets that are given during the day. Everyone is supposed to give at least two of these purim baskets, known as shalach manot. This is no end to Purim basket ideas, starting from a plain food purim gift to a fancy basket with several varieties of food. Making Purim for kids is also an aspect of the holiday, as another tradition is to dress up in costumes for the day, in order to give out gifts for Purim.